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Reflections of the 1st Argentine Congress of Agroecology

The congress has been a success, with an attendance of some 1000 people from all over the country and the world.

The truth is that it has been very stimulating and hopeful to see so many people learning, thinking and discussing alternatives, to be able to eat in a healthier way, in a more equitable society and respecting nature.

Although we are at a critical moment, regarding our impact as humanity on the planet; more of 7.000.000.000 people claiming for food, shelter, housing and all kinds of increasingly sophisticated products and services; We are at a turning point in terms of becoming aware of the impact we generate and a great opportunity to create a new way of relating to each other and to other living beings.

Today the idea of ​​making "healthy food" is a novelty and almost a snobbery., when it should be a basic concern, both of food producers, as of the state.

There are many variables that influence the processes that are taking place on a global scale:

-Homogenization of diets, there are thousands of edible species, but 90% of what we eat and grow correspond to only 15 species and the 50% only a 3.

-Tendency to mechanization and monoculture (decline in biodiversity)

  • There is no awareness of the ecological cost of the conventional form of production (environmental water pollution, the ground and the air)

 

Profitability - Ecological Cost = No Sustainability

 

While the UN promotes 17 objectives to take into account for sustainable development,

we can simplify it in three fundamental aspects

 

Analyzing all these aspects, some questions arise that help us orient ourselves towards sustainable development

What am I doing to reduce the amount of inputs?  (Fertilizers, pesticides, Energy, Water, packaging )

What am I doing to promote biodiversity?( Floors, land animals, fish,  birds, insects, soil microflora and microfauna.

What am I doing to reduce the distance from the marketing chain?

Lower costs and lower carbon footprint

What am I doing for workers to live better?

Better working conditions, hygienic and safety

What am I doing so that those around me live better?

Corporate social responsibility, people training,  treatment and reduction of effluents, etc.

 

With this complex panorama, The challenge arises to rethink and redesign a new production system that includes all the demands of society and the planet.

Regarding existing projects, I propose as a good path, the continuous improvement process, thinking every decision of each task, taking into account the set of objectives. In this way,  a transition will take place, towards a more sustainable production model for which future generations will thank us.

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